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A Light Within The World, For All The World To See…

Today’s Gospel Reading Mark 4:21-25

21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25 For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Notes And Personal Reflection

(V21) Do I glorify God by spreading His Truth, Light, Way and Word? Do I share Jesus with everyone or hide him deep within?

Bushel and Bed perhaps things pertaining to the palate or idleness. The disobedient ear, the love for the delights of one’s palate and rest.

Do I hide the Word of God under the love of this transitory life and of carnal allurements ?(Bede)

Do I spread His Light standing firm and upright like an oil lamp placed high up on a lamp stand for all to see?

The candle within us is that of our intellectual nature, and it shines either clearly or obscurely according to the proportion of our illumination. For if meditations which feed the light, and the recollection with which such a light is kindled, are neglected, it is presently extinguished. (Chrysostom)

Be not ashamed of the Gospel, but amidst the darkness of persecution raise the light of the word of God upon the candlestick of your body, keeping fixedly in your mind that day, when the Lord will throw light upon the hidden places of darkness, for then everlasting praise awaits you, and everlasting punishment your adversaries. (Bede)

(V22) The parables have come to light, nothing is hidden. Jesus has given His Word to us and planted it in our hearts. Do we allow His Word to grow? To be planted and spread unto others by our words and deeds?

Everything He spoke to them in private was meant to be openly manifested, and to come forth into public view. It is to the Apostles, words similar to these are addressed on several occasions, but with a different object (Matt. 10:26, 27).

(V23) And let him learn that he is not to bury in unjust silence the instructions or the examples I give him; but must exercise them for the light and direction of others.

That is, if any man have a sense for understanding the word of God, let him not withdraw himself, let him not turn his ear to fables, but let him lend his ear to search those things which truth hath spoken, his hands for fulfilling them, his tongue for preaching them. There follows, And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear.(BEDE)

For each of us, whether he have done good or evil, is brought to light in this life, much more in that which is to come. For what can be more hidden than God, nevertheless He Himself is manifested in the flesh. It continues, If any man have ears to ear, let him hear.(Theophylact)

Do we go often to the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that our ears can be unclogged to listen to the Word? When the sins of the flesh are washed away, we draw closer to God our Father, our heart and mind are one with Him.

(V24) The more we listen attentively to the Word allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us, together with the teaching tradition of the Holy Church established by Christ, the more we receive. That is the Graces we need to grow in faith are abundantly bestowed upon us to share with others.

That is, that none of those things which are said to you by me should escape you. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you, that is, whatsoever degree of application ye bring, in that degree ye will receive profit. (THEOPHYLACT)

Or else, If ye diligently endeavour to do all the good which ye can, and to teach it to your neighbours, the mercy of God will come in, to give you both in the present life a sense to take in higher things, and a will to do better things, and will add for the future an everlasting reward. And therefore it is subjoined, And to you shall more be given.(BEDE)

(V25) As in the parable of the Talents, more will be given for those who use the gifts for building the Kingdom of God. In this parable those who do not shine with the Light of Christ, brightly and boldly for all the world to see then they can expect that the light will be extinguished.

PSEUDO-JEROME. According to the measure of his faith the understanding of mysteries is divided to every man, and the virtues of knowledge will also be added to them. It goes on: For he that hath, to him shall be given; that is, he who hath faith shall have virtue, and he who hath obedience to the word, shall also have the understanding of the mystery. Again, he who, on the other hand, has not faith, fails in virtue; and he who has not obedience to the word, shall not have the understanding of it; and if he does not understand, he might as well not have heard.

PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Or else, He who has the desire and wish to hear and to seek, to him shall be given. But he who has not the desire of hearing divine things, even what he happens to have of the written law is taken from him.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) For sometimes a clever reader by neglecting his mind, deprives himself of wisdom, of which he tastes the sweetness, who, though slow in intellect, works more diligently.

CHRYSOSTOM. (non occ.) Again it may be said, that he hath not, who has not truth. But our Lord says that he hath, because he has a lie, for every one whose understanding believes a lie, thinks that he has something.

They who do not profit by the knowledge of the word of God, shall in punishment of their neglect, lose the advantage which they may seem to have, since it will turn in the end to their greater condemnation: and moreover, by trusting to their own judgment, they interpret the word in a perverse sense, and thus also lose what they seem to have. Nic. de Lyra.—Let those who talk so much about Scripture, and interpret it according to their own private spirit or fancy, see lest this also attach to them.

Hymn

A Call To Christians Lyrics

1. A light within the world
Yes, witnesses are we,
To bear the light of Christ
For all the world to see

Refrain:
We come with you, O Christ
In answer to Your Call;
Through love we give All.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

2. Your love and light, O Lord,
You send us to impart
To those who know You not
Yet love You in their heart.

3. Have mercy on the world
That sin and stife may cease;
Extend your reign, O Christ,
You are the King of Peace.